Die



May 30, 1939. F. w; BowlE ET A1. 2,160,427

DIE

Filed Feb. 25, 1937 2 sheets-sheet 1 22 /Z (E /r/ May so, 1939. F w. BOWlE'ET AL 2,160,427

Patented May 30, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DIE cinnati, Ohio Application February 25, 1937, Serial No. 127,740

Claims.

This invention is directed to improvements in dies, particularly adapted for use in the ornamentation of shoe uppers, shoe parts, and sheet work, by the formation of ornamental cut out or perforated designs in portions thereof.

'I'he illustrated embodiment of the invention is a type of die adapted for operation upon skins, upper blanks, and the like, in which the work may be marked with an ink, pigment, or other suitable medium, and perforated in a single operation.

Specifically, this invention relates to an improved die, illustrated as of the flat bed type, and comprising a base carrying the usual cutting or perforating members. The conventional strip- 15.V per plate for supporting the work over the cutting elements of the die, and for stripping the work from such cutting elements after a perforating operation, is resiliently mounted on the base, and is provided with marking elements which, after ink has been applied thereto, will operate to print suitable markings upon the Work in predetermined relation to the perforations, which marking may be used as guide lines for subsequent aligning of parts, stitching or other operations in the manufacture of a shoe, or may be made to simulate stitching on the work itself.

Usually a gage means is mounted upon the stripper plate, or associated therewith, in such a manner as to facilitate placement of the Work in position for ornamentation, and to accurately align or locate the work relative to the cutters.

The cutting or perforating members may in themselves be individually formed to produce cut outs of special shape, or may take the form of a plurality of perforating punches or tubes, disposed in an ornamental design, the herein described embodiment of the invention referring to this latter type of die. The marking elements, illustrated herein as ribs, may be carried by the stripper plate, or associated therewith in such a manner as to project slightly beyond the plane of the cutting edges, whereupon when ink is applied thereto, no ink will be placed upon the cutting edges. The stripper preferably is located in a p-lane slightly advanced with respect to the plane of the cutting edges and is provided with openings through which the cutting elements may operate. Hence the simplest mode of installing the marking elements is to place same directly upon the stripper plate.

The work gaging or aligning means may take the form of an abutment plate or edge gage, carried by the stripper, or may comprise a series of resiliently mounted pins carried by the base and projecting through the stripper.

In use, the work is laid on the stripper over the cutter openings, aligned by reference to the gage, in some instances by abutting an edge thereof against the gage, and in other instances, by reference to va seam or mark on the work.

Once the work is positioned, over the marking edges and openings for the cutting edges, the die may be slid into the path of the plunger or pressure member of a conventional press, such as a tip press, or other usual form of cut-out press, and by the application of pressure, the work, marker, and stripper forced over the cutting members, which perforate or cut the Work, it being obvious that the work is marked during this opera.- tion.

Marking and cutting of the Work heretofore have been accomplished largely as separate operations, that is the work will be marked in one machine, and perforated or cut out in another. Aside from the fact that this requires double equipment and involves twice as many operations, difficulties have also been encountered from a standpoint of accuracy, it being very difcult to gage a soft, flimsy piece of Work twice and get the same results. Because of such difliculties, machines and dies have been developed to effect both the marking and cutting in a single operaion.

In fact, flat bed dies having stripper mounted marking elements are known in the art, and have been used for the application of indented, embossed, and printed markings, but when used for the latter purpose, difculties are occasioned in the application of ink or pigment to the marking elements, which conventionally take the form of ribs or protuberances on -or adjacent the upper face of the stripper plate.

Such difliculties include the application of too much or too little ink to the marking surfaces, With the result that blurred or indistinct markings appear on the work, and the work itself may become smeared. Occasionally, unless special care is taken to prevent it, the cutting elements themselves may be inadvertently inked, With the result that markin-gs Will appear on the Work at points Where there should be no marks.

It is to the solution of these and similar difculties that the present invention is directed, and accordingly it is an object herein to provide an arrangement in which ink may be properly and adequately applied to the marking elements with a reasonable certainty that the proper amount of ink Will reach the marking surfaces, and also with assurance that no ink will reach parts of the die not intended for marking purposes.

Prior practices have taken cognizance of these diiiiculties and varying solutions have been worked out, but in most instances the solution has required a change in the structure of machines with which the dies are used, necessitating the purchase of additional machinery or equipment by a shoe manufacturer, and hence, another object of this invention is` the development of a die unit which can be used with the present equipment of a shoe manufacturer, and not necessitate the purchase of additional equipment.

It is a further object to provide a die unit which is self-contained and complete, not only as to cutting and marking elements, but also as to ink applying means.

A still further object contemplates a structural arrangement which may be added to dies already in existence at very little cost, or which may be built into a new die without materially increasing the expense ofmanufacture.

This structural .arrangement includes anink applying means, illustrated herein as a felt, sponge rubber, or equivalent type of pad, of such a size and capacity that it will hold enough ink for a large number of operations, and of such a nature that it will evenly apply andv distribute ink to the marking edges in such amounts as to require 3Q inking of the marking elements but once for every three or four pieces of work.

To the attainment of the foregoing, and other objects which will appear as the description proceeds, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a plan of a die unit with the ink applying pad extended.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation thereof, with the pad in partially closed position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation, illustrating a modification, with the pad in closed position, and

Fig, 4 is a plan, somewhat enlarged, of a shoe tip blank which has been perforated and marked.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts, it will be seen that the die proper,

illustrated herein as a flat bed, tip die, comprises a base I0, upon which is mounted a tube plate II and a cutter plate I2. The tube plate carries a series of tubes or perforating punches I3, and the plate I2 carries a pinking blade, or cutter I4. Since the base I0 is recessed, as indicated at I5, for the escape of cuttings or` chips as they are cut from the work. it is desirable to interpose a sub plate I6 between the base I0,

and the cutter and tube plates, to serve as a Y, cut edges of the tubes I3 and cutter I4.

- the work.

An abutment gage 2| is provided adjacent the location of the tubes and cutter, being preferably mounted directly on Vthe stripper, and against which gage, edge portions of the work may be abutted, whereby to align the Work relative to the cutting edges of the die.

The structure thus far described is more or less conventional in nature and, of course, is merely exemplary of one of many forms of die to which the invention may be applied.

For example, the illustrated die might be modied, entirely within conventional structures by replacing the plate 2| with any conventional form of gage, such as spring mounted gage pins, clamp gages, and the like, or for that matter, the gage may in some instances be dispensed with entirely.

For marking purposes, a marker 22, formed with marking ribs 23, is secured to the stripper, being illustrated herein as of a design for placing curved, stitch guide lines 24 on a shoe tip or work piece W between and adjacent rows of perforations 25. It will be observed that the ribs 23 project beyond the plane of the cutting edges, being held in such position by the resilient mountings of the stripper. The plate 22 is, of course, perforated coincidentally with the perforations I9 of the stripper plate.

A lug or stop 2,6 is adjustably secured to the front of the die block and serve to limit the inward movement of the die, in the press, or other ornamenting machine. A stem 21, also at the forwardV portion of the die block, serves to mount. a handle (not shown), by means of which the die may be manipulated into and out of operating position in the machine. Combined die units, similar in nature to the structure thus far described, are more or less conventional, although in some instances the marking plate may not be mounted directly on the stripper, but may be otherwise associated therewith, and in the use of these combined units, it is customary to apply ink to the marking elements, e. g., the ribs 23, by a roller, by hand, and in various ways.

A primary purpose of the present invention is to replace these known methods, which necessitate machine equipment such as an ink rollerwith mechanism for effecting a relative movement between the ink roller and the die, and for insuring that the ink applying mechanism is not interposed between the die and the plunger of the press when the ornamenting operation is effected, as well as to replace the loose, inconvenient hand equipment which is very unsatisfactory in even distribution of ink to the marking surfaces. To this end, a plate 28 is hinged as at 29 by means of a removable pintle 30 (Figs. l and 2) to the stripper plate I1. The exact mounting and location of the hinges may be varied, and in Fig. 3 it will be observed that the plate 28 is hinged directly to the die block by means of hinges 3| having a pintle 32, the work supporting stripper plate being shortened or otherwise suitably shaped at the front of the die to permit freedom of movement in the hinges. Other variations in mounting, and in shape of the stripper plate may be made, to accord with die Variations.

The purpose of the plate 28 is to support or mount an ink pad. 33 which may be of felt, sponge rubber, or other suitable materials from which ink pads are conventionally made, the pad being secured to the plate 28 in any convenient manner, as by split rivets 34. The plate 28 will be shaped to clear the gage 2| and to present an inkingl area effective to reach all ofl the-marking elements 23. A handle 35 serves for manipulation of the plate 28.

From the foregoing description, the use and operation of the die andinking pad will be readily apparent, It is customary to slide the die forsupport or stripper. and pad 33 will be normally extended, as illuswardly, or toward the operator, from beneath trated in Fig. 1. With the die in its outer position, the vpad 33, impregnated with a suitable marking medium, may be turned over until it i rests upon the marking ribs 23 and then restored to its outer or inoperative positions, as in Fig. 1. The Work is then placed upon the work support and Y by reference to the gage 2i accurately aligned with respect tothe marking and cutting elements, whereupon the die is slid inwardly of the machine and the ornamenting operation effected.

In those cases where it may be found necessary or desirable, conventional type, resiliently Imounted gage pins may be placed in or around the marker 22 at strategic points. By arranging these pins to project or extend slightly above the plane of the marking edges 23, the pins Will function to keep the work spaced from the marker 22 until pressure from the plunger of the press is applied. This Will eliminate smearing of ink on the leather before and after it is perforated.

It is not necessary to ink the marking elements 23 for every ope-ration, experience having 30'. shown that one manipulation of the pad is sufcient for Several marking operations on the work, the pad itself being treated with ink in accordance with the amount of use given to it, much as in the case of an ordinary hand padused with rubber stamps.

Advantages of the present device will be readily apparent. The entire unit is self-contained, and all. of the essentials for ink marking, cutting, gaging, applying ink to the marking elements, supporting and stripping the work, will be found in the single unit. Ordinary flat bed dies, as are now in use, can be readily modified by the application of marking elements and ink applying mechanism, and new dies can be so equipped, all at very slight cost.

In the illustrated embodiment, which includes the cutter I4, in addition to the perforating tubes I3, the rounded portion of a tip blank can be readily trimmed during the ornamenting operation, thus insuring accurate spacing of the perforations and stitch guide lines with respect to the edge of the blank.

No modication of existing equipment or purchase of additional machinery is necessary, since the die is a self-contained unit. Work is speeded up by avoiding the time element required by built in ink applying means synchronized with other machine and die operations.

The invention permits the elimination of mechanical or machine actuated inkers, which might require special machine constructions other than merely the use of a self-contained die unit. With the arrangement disclosed herein, it is not necessary to go to the expense of providing such special machinery, as the die unit of the present invention can be used with existing machines heretofore used solely for perforating and cutting work, to accomplish a combined operation of'cutting and marking.

Need for a separate marking machine, additional to conventional perforating machinery, is obviated, and at the same time a more satisfactory operation on the work is attainable than could be accomplished with two machines for separate cutting and marking treatments.

Uniform and even application of the proper' amount of marking medium to the marking surfaces is ensured, and thus unsatisfactory oper-- ations of applying ink by hand are eliminated.` This is particularly true where, as in the illustrated embodiments, a hinged ink pad is disclosed, and it is likewise true of various other mountings for the ink pad, falling Within the scope of the claims herein, e. g., a sliding and/or depressible ink pad.

A safety factor is presented by the die unit herein, (both to operator and machine) which would not be present in hand inking arrangements. It is obvious that when the applicator or inker is mounted in the die unit, that the entire die unit must be removed from its normal zone of operations to permit application of ink. This is largely due to the fact that the clearance Within the conventional machine is so slight as to prevent application of ink by a pad or equivalent device mounted in the unit, while the unit is within the confines of the machine. With a hand device, it would be possible for an operator to place her hands Within the normal zones of operation, when applying ink, and should pressure be accidentally applied, her hands and the nker would be subject to crushing.

Obviously, it is Within the scope of this invention to do marking alone, that is to exclude the cutting features, and marking dies may readily be equipped with an ink applying pad and plate, as described herein. Since the herein described embodiment is but illustrative, it will be appreciated that it is also within the scope of this invention to mount the marking elements other than directly on the stripper, so long as they are arranged to perform their functions during the same operation as the cutting elements.

By mounting the marking surfaces in a plane slightly advanced with respect to the plane of the cutting edges, the marking medium can be readily applied exclusively to the marking surfaces without getting on the cutting edges. This is true Whether the marking edges are individually mounted in the die or Whether they are carried by the stripper.

Certain types of work such as white kid, suede, ruffet of all description, shoe parts in which the leather is backed and nished with toe lining, do not require ink marking, and can be satisfactorily marked by impressions, and it will be evident that the marker of this die unit lends itself readily to such impression marking, either with or Without;

ink. When used without ink, the step of clean-- ing up the shoes in the packing room, after completion is rendered less difficult.

In fact, many modifications within the scope of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. For example, the arrangement may be applied to other than flat bed dies, examples being various types of tip dies, elevated dies, dies supported toI cut downwardly rather than upwardly, and it is not intended that the invention shall be limited other than as defined in the claims appended hereto. l

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

1. A machine die unit for use in a pressure applying machine, comprising a base, cntting means on said base, resiliently mounted marking means associated with said cutting means, and normally positioned with a marking surface thereof in an operative plane advanced with respect to the operative plane of the cutting means, and means 'KOI toA apply a marking medium to said marking means, said medium applying means being mountedin said unit, and movable to a position remote from the. normal zone of operations of said unit.

2. A machine die unit for use in a pressure applying machine, comprising a base, cutting means on said base, resiliently mounted marking means associated with said cutting means, and normally positioned with a marking surface thereof in an operative plane advanced with respect to the operative plane of the cutting means, and means to apply a marking medium to said marking means, said medium applying means being mounted on said base, and movable to a position remote from the normal zone of operation of said unit.

3. A die unit comprising a base, cutting means on said base, stripping means for said cutting means, marking means associated with said cutting means, and means to apply a marking medium to said marking means, said medium applying means being mounted on said stripping means. Y

4. A machine die unit for use in a pressure applying machine, comprising a base, cutting means on said base, a stripper plate for said cutting means, marking means carried by said stripper plate and normally positioned in a plane advanced with respect to the plane of the cutting edges of said cutting means, and means movably mounted in said unit to apply a marking medium to said marking means, said medium applying means being movable between a position f extending across said stripping means and said marking means, and a location remote from the normal zone of operations of said unit.

5. A die unit comprising a base, cutting means on said base, a stripper plate for said cutting means, marking means carried by said stripper plate and normally positioned in a plane advanced with respect to the plane of the cutting edges of said cutting means, and means also on said stripper plate for applying a marking medium to said marking means, said medium applying means being movable relative to said stripper and said marking means.

6. A die unit comprising a base, cutting means on said base, a stripper plate for said cutting 'i means, marking means associated with said cutting means, and means to apply a marking medium to said marking means comprising a plate hinged to said stripper plate for movement into and out of engagement With said marking means.

7. A machine die unit for use in a pressure applying machine, comprising a base, cutting means on said base, resiliently mounted marked means associated with said cutting means, and normally positioned with a marking surface thereof inan operative plane advanced with respect to the operative plane of the cutting means, and means to applya marking medium toA said marking means comprising a plate hinged to said base for movement into and out of engagement with saidmarking means, and for movement to a location remote from the normal zone of operationsY of said unit.

8. A machine die unit for use in a pressure applying machine, comprising a base, cutting means on said base, resiliently mounted marking means associated with said cutting means, and normally positioned With a marking surface thereof in an operative plane advanced with respect to the operative plane of the cutting means, and means to apply amarking medium to said marking means comprising a plate hinged to said unit for movement into and out of engagement with said marking means, and for movementto a location remote from the normal zone of operations of said unit.

9. A machine die unit for use in a pressure applying machine, comprising a base, cutting means on said base, resiliently mounted marking means associated with said cutting means, and normally4 positioned with a marking surface thereof in an operative plane advanced with respect to the operative plane of the cutting means, and means to apply a marking medium to said marking means comprising a padsupport mounted in said unit for movement toward and from said marking elements, and an ink pad carried by said support in position to engage said marking means, when said support is moved toward same, said support and pad being movable to a location remote from the normal zone of operations unit.

10. A die unit comprising a base, cutting means on said base, a stripper plate for said cutting means, marking means associated with said cutting means, means to apply a marking medium to said marking means comprising a plate hinged to said stripper plate for movement into and out of engagement with said marking means, and means normally to position said marking means in a plane advanced with respect to the plane of the cutting edges of said cutting means.

11. A self-contained die unit comprising a base, cutting means carried by said base, a Work supporting plate yieldingly supported on said base in juxtaposition to said cutting means, a marking element carried by .said Work supporting plate, and means movably carried by said plate to apply a marking medium to said marking means.

l2. A at bed machine die unit for use in a pressure applying machine, comprising a die block cutting means carried thereby, a stripper plate resiliently mounted on said block in a plane slightly advanced from the plane of the cutting edges, marking means carried by said stripper plate, and means to apply ink to said marking means comprising a pad supporting plate having an ink pad on one face thereof, said supporting plate being hinged to said die unit for movement effective to place said ink pad against the marking means, thereby to ink same, and for movement to an inoperative position remote from the normal zone of operations of said unit.

13. A machine die unit for use in a pressure applying machine, comprising a base, cutting means on said base, Work stripping means for said cutting means, resiliently mounted marking means associated With said cutting means, and normally positioned with a marking surface thereof in an operative plane advanced with respect to the operative plane of the cutting means, and means to apply a marking medium to said marking means, said medium applying means being mounted in said unit and movable between a position extendingv across said stripping means and'said marking means, and a location remote from the normal zone of operation of said unit.

14. A combined machine die unit for use in a pressure applying machine, comprising a base, a cutting die mounted thereon, a Work stripping plate resiliently mounted on said base for removing Work from said cutting die, a marking die associated With said cutting die and positioned to present its marking surfaces in a plane slightly advanced With respect to the edges of the cutters ofv said cutting die, said cutting edges and markof saidl means and normally positioned in an operativo plane advanced with respect to the operative plane of the cutting means, means to apply a marking medium to said marking means, and means in said unit mounting said medium applying means constructed and arranged to ensure even, uniform contact between the medium applying means and the marking means, said medium applying means being movable on said unit to a location remote from the normal zone of operations of said cutting means and marking means.

16. A machine die unit for use in a pressure applying machine, comprising a base, cutting means on said base,resi1iently mounted marking means associated with said cutting means,- and normally positioned -with a marking surface thereof in an operative plane slightly advanced with respect to the operative plane of the cutting means, means to apply a marking medium to said marking means, and means mounting said applying means With respect to the marking means such that relative movement therebetween will effect a proper application of the marking medium to the marking means.

17. A die unit comprising a base, cutting means on said base, stripping means for said cutting means, marking means associated with said cutting means, and with said stripping means, means to apply a marking medium to said marking means, and means mounting said applying means with respect to the marking means such Ythat relative movement therebetween will effect a proper application of the marking medium to the marking means. y

18. A die unit comprising a base, cutting means on said base, a stripper plate for said cutting means, marking means carried by said stripper plate and normally positioned in a plane advanced with respect to the plane of the lcutting edges of said cutting means, means for applying a marking medium to a surface of said marking means, and means mounting said applying means with respect to the marking means such that relative movement therebetween will effect a proper application of the marking medium to the marking means. f

19. A self-contained at bed die unit comprising a base, cuttingV means carried by said base, an ink supporting plate yieldingly supported on said base in juxtaposition to said cutting means, a marking element carried by said work supporting plate, means to apply a marking medium to said marking means, and means mounting said applying means with respect to the marking ymeans such that relative movement therebetween will eiect a proper application of the marking 

